MovieChat Forums > The Mummy's Curse (1944) Discussion > Weak movie; one bravura sequence

Weak movie; one bravura sequence

posted 19 years ago by J. Spurlin
18 replies | jump to latest

Some miscellaneous thoughts:

This may be the weakest of a weak series (until the next film, The Mummy's Ghost, which I saw three years ago and barely remember). The leads, Dennis Moore and Kay Harding, are the dullest yet; Harding is unattractive as well as a bad actress. Martin Kosleck makes for an okay villain, but Peter Coe is very weak, especially after following the two excellent villains of the first two films – George Zucco and Turhan Bey. But this film boasts something that none of the other Kharis movies does: a single, bravura sequence. Princess Ananka's rise from the rubble after being buried for three-thousand years is splendidly handled. It's a long, silent sequence, featuring Virginia Christine's jerky, shaking, poignant return to life; and excellent makeup and photography. It would be the highlight of a much better film.

Welcome character actors: the silky-voiced Holmes Herbert, as the kindly doctor; and especially Ann Codee, as the Cajun café owner who performs an original song called "Hey, You" in the opening scene.

... Justin

[–] moviefreak_4 18 years ago

I think it's interesting to watch it again knowing that it's set in 1995. I just love movies like that where you can watch them and compare them to what the year was REALLY like (see also: 2001 A Space Odyssey)

Darth Vader rules. Everyone else is a dick.

[–] Xcalat3 12 years ago

I think it's interesting to watch it again knowing that it's set in 1995. I just love movies like that where you can watch them and compare them to what the year was REALLY like (see also: 2001 A Space Odyssey)

well said.

When there's no more room in hell, The dead will walk the earth...

[–] gc123517 17 years ago

Actually, this film follows "The Mummy's Ghost". At the end of that film, Kharis takes Ananka/Amina (Ramsay Ames) into a swamp. In this film, set 25 years later, the swamp is being drained and in the process Kharis and Ananka are uncovered.
The order of the films and the actors who play the mummies are as follows: "The Mummy" - 1932 - Boris Karloff, "The Mummy's Hand" - 1940 - Tom Tyler, "The Mummy's Tomb" - 1942 - Lon Chaney Jr., "The Mummy's Ghost" - 1944 (July) - Lon Chaney Jr., "The Mummy's Curse" - 1944 (December) - Lon Chaney Jr..
Needless to say, continuity suffers in ways that only the "Highlander" franchise could eclipse. I have no idea how they ended up in Louisiana since I believe they started out in Mapleton, Massachusetts. Oh well, if there's a swamp, it must be in Cajun Country. And since the "Tomb" is set in 1970, and the "Ghost" in 1972, this one is up to 1997! Yet they all look like 1940's movies. Everything is muddled in this series, from whether or not there happens to be a full moon out, to tana leaf recipes and their powers.
One interesting note here. In this film, the Cajuns refer to "Loup-Garou"....that happens to be French for "WereWolf"!

[–] J. Spurlin 17 years ago

So this is the last of the Universal Mummys. God, this series is confusing. Especially if one assumes (falsely) that the 1932 movie has anything to do with the four from the 40s.

Somehow I managed to see all the 40s films before seeing the '32 one. Imagine my surprise when, instead of a marauding mummy, I got something that was very like Dracula.

So do you agree that the scene where the princess rises out of the mud is a great scene?

... J. Spurlin

[–] Mithrandir-Olorin2 16 years ago

Yes it was rather cool.

"It's not about Money

It's about sending a message

Everything Burns"

[–] wwwocls-72759 7 years ago

100% agree with the Ananka sequence. The best in any of the Mummy films except maybe Karloff coming alive in the original film.

[–] Jake-219 16 years ago

Except that I don't believe this to be the weakest in the series (I put the second one, "Tomb," there, only because having the mummy shamble around killing nothing but old codgers seems somewhat lame, if nevertheless appropriate, given his speed!), I couldn't agree with you more: Virginia Christine's resurrection is wonderful.

Up until then the movie is so much same old, same old, pretty much nothing...and suddenly you just HAVE to sit up and take notice, you're seeing something entirely NEW, something simultaneously lovely, awesome and terrifying...something heartstopping, poignant, breathtaking. (I'm not being facetious here; when I first saw this I literally had to sit up and take notice, and couldn't believe what I was seeing!...though I'll grant that it didn't hurt that it was in the middle of such an otherwise pedestrian film. Still, this scene would have still been impressive if it were in the middle of "Seven Samurai," or something! In fact, had it been in such a film it would probably still be one of the most-remembered and referenced scenes!)

In addition to the lighting, sound, makeup and whatever else, it seems to me that perhaps they played a little trick with the camerawork, excising an occasional frame here and there to add to the otherworldly feel, the "jerkiness" of the scene, but that's just a guess since it certainly isn't so over the top as to be obvious.

And we have to give credit to Virginia herself, who played the part terrifically, and gave so much more to it in those few seconds than a simple melodramatic b-movie "back from the dead" shot.

It's one of the most amazing things I've ever seen on film.

(Interesting to see that "Mrs. Olsen" used to be such a little babe, too!)

[–] J. Spurlin 16 years ago

The scene may be the second best in all Universal Horror, after the Bride scene in Bride of Frankenstein. Really a marvel. Thanks for replying!

...Om

[–] wwkentucky 15 years ago

J. Spurlin, I'm partial to Larry Talbot's transformation scene (into the Wolf Man) shot in closeup as he sits in his Cardiff hospital bed in "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man."

But Ananka's resurrection from the swamp bed is unforgettable. I also love the shot of the monastery in "The Mummy's Curse" --- possibly just a painting, but a spooky one.

And you gotta love how Ananka rises from her grave one day....and lands a job as a typist the very next!! What a booming job market we had in 1997.

One thing in "Curse" I found annoying is how Goobie keeps repeating, "The Mummy's on the loose and he's dancin' with the Devil!" Even once would have been one time too many. Achilles' dialogue isn't much better --- "When the moon rises so high in the heaven, the Mummy walks with his Princess!" But I think Kurt Katch gave a wonderfully robust performance as Cajun Joe...even if he couldn't remember the first and only rule of surviving a Mummy attack:

1. Walk away briskly.

[–] J. Spurlin 15 years ago

How a lumbering mummy ever became a major monster is a mystery. But then zombies are no different -- at least until the 00's when they learned how to run. Boris Karloff's original mummy in 1932 was better. But then he may have been too much like Dracula to have any real staying power. And there's just something about an animate mummy with its bandages still on that can't be beat, lumbering pace or no lumbering pace.

...Justin

[–] wwkentucky 15 years ago

<< It's a long, silent sequence, featuring Virginia Christine's jerky, shaking, poignant return to life; and excellent makeup and photography. >>

Her movements remind me of a blood-soaked Sissy Spacek in "Carrie."

[–] J. Spurlin 15 years ago

I hadn't thought of that!

...Justin

[–] Jake-219 15 years ago

"The mummy's on the loose and he's dancin' with the devil!" You honestly don't like that?

It's one of my favorite lines of all time! It's so incredibly goofy!!!

[–] BigRedFan79 14 years ago

This has always been my favorite from the first time I saw it as a child some 35-40 years ago. Before cable, a local station would show either horror or comedy films on News Years Eve from 11:30 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. the next morning. This is where I first saw W.C. Fields, Ghost and Mr. Chicken, Brides of Dracula, many of the Universal classic horror films. Maybe because there wasn't too much of a choice then but it seemed to make these films seem special. Unlike today with a 1,000 channels and nothing to watch.

[–] Jake-219 14 years ago

I don't know...my own theory is that, with 1000 channels to watch, there's certainly SOMETHING worthwhile...it's just that it takes us 100 time longer to find it, and who has that kind of patience?

[–] LarrupinLou 8 years ago

J. Spurlin, I'm partial to Larry Talbot's transformation scene (into the Wolf Man) shot in closeup as he sits in his Cardiff hospital bed in "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man."

That's the best, IMO, too. It really looked like Chaney was transforming in reality! The Ananka resurrection is my pick for second creepiest.

No blah, blah, blah!

[–] PeterBlues 8 years ago

great sound, didn't need subtitles though that was available, what a great scene raising up from the mud, and that it was shot in broad daylight made it stand out a bit as a horror movie. i'm used to seeing tall skinny guys like karloff and lee play the mummy, so this was another take on it. i know i'm gonna sound like a boob to some horror fans now, but i thought the monster was actually played by lon chaney and not lon chaney jr, since that is what the credit showed, and it would have been more fun to know as i was watching that it was jr since i'm more aware of his films. one almost felt sorry the scene when the car drove off, he didn't understand the killings, he was just out to get his woman. these classic old horror movies gives a much heavier mysterious vibe than the new ones full of special effects that makes them age fast, this is what teens should watch, i saw the first mummy and 1950's remake when i was young, but this box of the sequels weren't released in my country like frankenstein and dracula.

invisible man with no place to go,
dawned on me like before,
always the one i can depend on,
the people don't mean me no good,
and you're no longer here to hold on to,
when im all alone and at my most low,
come to the same conclusion as before,
ive got one place to go, the angel i need,
who can the invisible man see.

[–] wwwocls-72759 7 years ago

I 100% agree about the sequence with Ananka rising from the mud into the sunlight. I think it's the best sequence in any of the Mummy films (except maybe Karloff's mummy coming alive in the original.)